Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson: He has won or joined in 12 legal victories over the Trump administration.

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson: He has won or joined in 12 legal victories over the Trump administration.

Photo: GENNA MARTIN, SEATTLEPI

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Check the slideshow to see all the times Washington has sued (or threatened to sue) the Trump administration.

Check the slideshow to see all the times Washington has sued (or threatened to sue) the Trump administration.

Photo: Grant Hindsley/Seattle PI

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ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY

WASHINGTON STATE VS. THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

Washington's Attorney General, Bob Ferguson, announced on June 21, 2018 that he will lead a coalition of states to challenge the Trump Administration's forced family separation policy on the U.S. southern border. "“This is a rogue, cruel, and unconstitutional policy,” Ferguson said. “We’re going to put a stop to it.”

Washington joined other states to sue the Trump Administration over its decision to include a question about citizenship status on May 27, 2018.

"The Census Bureau's own research reveals asking people about their citizenship status could significantly undermine its constitutional mandate: an accurate count of everyone in the United States, regardless of immigration status," Attorney General Bob Ferguson said.
"If Washington state's large immigrant population isn't accurately counted, the impact on our congressional representation and billions of dollars in federal funds our state receives could be jeopardized."

Though not yet an official lawsuit, Attorney General Bob Ferguson warned U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke that one would come if the administration tried to drill for oil off the state's Pacific beaches.

"Before I detail my opposition, I would like to invite you, Secretary Zinke, to join me for a visit to Washington's Pacific Coast," Ferguson wrote. "As an outdoorsman, you will appreciate the unique beauty of the longest unbroken piece of primitive coastline in the lower 48 state, the coastal portion of Olympic National Park.

In his 19th time taking the Trump administration to federal court, State Attorney General Bob Ferguson sued the administration over its net neutrality repeal on December 14, 2017. He planned to challenge the legality of a FCC decision that gutted Obama-era net neutrality rules that barred major providers like Comcast, Verizon and AT & T from charging extra for faster internet access and guaranteeing equal access to all sites. less

WASHINGTON STATE VS. THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

In his 19th time taking the Trump administration to federal court, State Attorney General Bob Ferguson sued the administration over its net neutrality repeal ... more

Photo: GENNA MARTIN, SEATTLEPI

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CLEAN AIR ACT

WASHINGTON STATE VS. THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

Attorney General Bob Ferguson joined New York and other states' Attorney Generals to file a federal suit against the Trump administration on Dec. 4, 2018, for violating the Clean Air Act. They accused the EPA of violating the Clean Air Act by delaying air quality standards for ground level ozone pollution.

In July 2017, Attorney General Bob Ferguson sued the EPA over the Chemical Disaster Rule, which the administration reportedly blocked from going into effect. Ferguson was one of 11 attorneys who headed to federal court to un-block it. The Chemical Disaster Rule sprouted from a disaster in Texas — the West Fertilizer Plant Explosion, which killed 12 first responders. The attorneys general charged that Pruitt's action to delay the rule into 2019 was a violation of the federal Clean Air Action. less

WASHINGTON STATE VS. THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

In July 2017, Attorney General Bob Ferguson sued the EPA over the Chemical Disaster Rule, which the administration reportedly blocked from going into effect. ... more

"President Trump's EPA is willfully ignoring scientific evidence that chlorpyrifos is harmful to human health," said Ferguson. "Washington's consumers, farmworkers and farm operators deserve an administration that respects science and cares about the risks to their health."

Neither President Trump nor Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke have legal authority to revoke national monuments, Attorney General Bob Ferguson argued in a letter to Zinke released in May 2017. The monument was designated by President Clinton in 2000.

"I ask President Trump and Secretary Zinke to respect the legal limits of their powers," said Ferguson. "If President Trump attempts to harm Washington's national monuments, my office will defend them."

Washington challenged Trump's Muslim travel ban No. 1 AND No 2. Ferguson also sued for a third time. He said: "The president has capitulated on numerous key provisions backed by our lawsuit, including bans on green card holders, visa holders and dual citizens, an indefinite ban on Syrian refugees and explicit preferences based on religion."

In May 2017, AG Bob Ferguson announced he and 15 other Democratic attorney generals asked to intervene in defense of a key provision of the Affordable Care Act — subsidy payments that are made to insurance companies. "If this key funding is eliminated, tens of thousands of low-income Washingtonians could lose their health coverage entirely," Ferguson said. "Many more would face devastating increases in the cost of care. "

Gov. Jay Inslee added: "Washington state has shown that, when done right, the Affordable Care Act expands health coverage to those who need it most, decreases the rate of health care cost inflation in the individual market, and creates jobs." less

And then there was coal. On May 9, 2017, Attorney General Bob Ferguson took on the Trump administration over its decision to restart leasing federal lands in the West for coal production. Washington, along with California, New York, and New Mexico filed a federal suit in Montana, charging that two federal departments acted "arbitrarily, capriciously, contrary to law, abused their discretion and failed to follow the procedures required by law."

On September 25, 2017, Washington asked a U.S. District court to allow the state to join a federal lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's prohibition on transgender troops serving in the military. "Thousands of transgender individuals serve or have served their country with honor and distinction," Attorney General Bob Ferguson said in a statement. "Barring transgender individuals from serving based on anything other than their ability is wrong."

In July 2017, Washington joined 18 other states and the District of Columbia to sue Betsy DeVos over her delay of regulations to protect students receiving federal student loans from being defrauded by for-profit colleges. The suit charged that DeVos, the U.S. Secretary of Education, had illegally delayed a set of regulations directed at 'predatory' colleges.

In June of 2017, along with 10 other states, Bob Ferguson sued the Trump administration for trying to delay new energy efficiency standards that would cut annual electrical use in 19 million American homes. The new efficiency standards would reduced carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated 26 million metric tons per year.

In October 2017, Ferguson joined a multistate coalition in filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration after the President announced it would unilaterally terminate federal cost-sharing payments under the ACA. The action would increase the premiums of more than 100,000 Washington residents by nearly a third.

In September 2017, Washington and eight other states sued the Trump administration, saying the Department of Transportation illegally suspended the date for a measure that required states to measure greenhouse gases emitted by vehicles.

17 states including Washington sued the Trump administration over delaying the gainful employment rule, which Ferguson said "keeps colleges from offering worthless degrees and leaving their graduates with high levels of debt."

In January 2018, Ferguson sued the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for not adequately communicating and holding public meetings, among other things.

WASHINGTON STATE VS. THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

In January 2018, Ferguson sued the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for not adequately communicating and holding public meetings, among other things.

Photo: J. Scott Applewhite, Associated Press

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Stop using agricultural pesticide on food, court orders EPA

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency must revoke all uses of the agricultural pesticide chlorpyrifos on food within 60 days, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ordered in a ruling Thursday.

The appellate court backed Washington, California, New York and other states, which sued after then-EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt squelched a scientific safety review of the pesticide, used nationally on 80 food crops.

The court reversed a Trump administration decision allowing continued use of the pesticide.

"There was no justification for the EPA's decision in its 2017 order to maintain a tolerance for chlorpyrifos in the face of scientific evidence that its residue on food causes neurodevelopmental damage to children," the court wrote in its opinion.

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, and his counterparts in Albany and Sacramento, applauded the ruling. This state has now initiated or joined 32 legal actions against the Trump Administration.

"Protection is literally (the EPA's) middle name," Ferguson said. "This action by the Trump Administration was yet another attempt to undermine the EPA's mandate. It is disappointing that it took a federal lawsuit to force the EPA to do its job."

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The residue of chlorpyrifos is consumed in food. Farm workers are in danger of exposure during its application. Residue lingers for more than two weeks in farm fields. And the pesticide blows around when it is being applied.

"The pesticide has been suspected of causing health problems for infants and children for many years," said California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, explaining why his state joined in the lawsuit.

"California grows the best fruits in the country. But no parent should have to question if these healthy foods are unsafe for their children to consume."

New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood added: "Today's decision is a huge win for childrens' health, blocking the Trump administration from allowing continued exposure to this toxic pesticide.

Washington has an estimated 100,000 agricultural workers and 7.3 million acres of agricultural land.

The 9th Circuit decision marked the 12th legal victory over Trump in which the Washington AG's office has joined or has won. Seven of the cases cannot be appealed. The chlorphrifos decision can be appealed.